The background of the present disclosure is hereinafter introduced with the discussion of techniques relating to its context. However, even when this discussion refers to documents, acts, artifacts and the like, it does not suggest or represent that the discussed techniques are part of the prior art or are common general knowledge in the field relevant to the present disclosure.
The present disclosure relates to the data processing field. More specifically, this disclosure relates to the configuration of partitions of distribution networks.
Distribution networks are commonly used to distribute different commodities from sources to users thereof (for example, water). In this context, especially when the distribution networks are very large, it may be desirable to partition them into smaller sub-networks (known as parts) that are easier to manage. For example, a (large) Water Distribution Network (WDN) may be partitioned into parts known as District Metered Areas (DMAs), or simply districts. This facilitates the localization of losses in the (water) distribution network by monitoring a balance between an inflow and an outflow of each part, and it allows supplying each part at lower pressure (thereby saving energy for pumping the water and reducing the losses); particularly, the parts may be designed to comprise users with a similar difference of their elevation with respect to the elevation of corresponding sources, so as to allow supplying the parts at a pressure that is only slightly higher than a Minimum Service Pressure (MSP) required by their users.
For this purpose, a three-phase approach may be used; in this case, the partitioning process is divided into separate phases that are more tractable from a computational point of view. Particularly, in a first phase multiple (candidate) partitions are generated that are plausible (well-behaved) from a theoretical point of view for the distribution network, in a second phase the partitions are configured by interconnecting the parts thereof to make them feasible from a practical (hydraulic) point of view, and in a third phase the interconnections of the parts are optimized (and one of the partitions is then selected). An example of this three-phase partitioning process is described in US-A-2015/339412.
With reference in particular to the third (optimization) phase of the partitioning process, a challenging activity is the determination of a setting of each regulating element that is used to regulate a transfer of the water across the interconnections among the parts of each partition; for example, this requires optimizing the settings of Pressure Regulating Valves (PRVs), or simply regulating valves, that regulate a pressure of the water that is transferred among the parts to minimize losses and energy at the same time remaining compatible with the minimum service pressures required by the users.
However, the optimization of the regulating valves is a very complex activity; this is mainly due to its inherent difficulty, since the setting of each regulating valve propagates to the other regulating valves so that their dependencies are to be considered simultaneously.
For this purpose, it might be possible to attempt the application of heuristic techniques (for example, based on genetic algorithms). However, because of their own nature the heuristic techniques simply provide results that may not be verified for their quality (for example, in terms of optimality, accuracy and precision); therefore, the obtained results might be relatively poor.
On the other hand, it might be possible to attempt the application of general optimization methods (for example, based on a non-linear least squares analysis). However, the optimization of the regulating valves involves the specification of constraints on the water that is supplied to the users of the distribution network (for example, defined by the corresponding minimum service pressure); therefore, these constraints apply to dependent variables of the optimization method (i.e., a pressure of the water supplied to the users). Conversely, the common optimization methods only allow specifying constraints on independent variables thereof (i.e., the setting of the regulating valves in this case). Moreover, the optimization methods require repeated verifications of the settings of the regulating valves at intermediate stages of their iterative process (for example, by running corresponding simulations of the distribution network); however, these simulations may generate impossible results from a physical point of view (for example, with negative pressure of the water that is supplied to some users).
Other techniques are instead available in case of far simpler applications. For example, US-A-2011/0290331 discloses monitoring water supply characteristics in respect of regional supply networks (which are fed by a main supply conduit via respective pressure reducing valves at respective regional pressures) and processing the water supplied into the main supply conduit (from a mains water supply station) to ensure acceptable values of a parameter related to a property of the water (which parameter may be water pressure).